The guru is inside…

Having brought myself up to date on all the salient points of the most recent Anusara accusations, I stand my my original article.

The point of my original article was that the guru is inside. John is not the guru, and he never has been. He has taken the seat of the teacher, and done so beautifully the times I’ve studied with him. Putting him on a pedestal because he imparted a powerful teaching runs counter to to that very teaching. The guru is inside, people.

John is gifting us with a mirror for that teaching. When presented with a charismatic teacher, can we still remember to turn to the guru inside? When the teacher does something to disappoint you, will you throw out the teaching? If the teacher reveals himself to be a troubled, regular human being, can you remember to open to grace? Can you remember to look for the good? Can you remember to ask your inner knowing to follow the right path?

I can not, for the life of me, find room in my heart to judge John’s actions. I can not presume to know what his karma his, or the path along which he will follow his dharma. I can not presume to know the karma of the women he was involved with. I do know that consenting adults sometimes make choices that are seemingly not in their best and highest good. I also know that what looks like a bad thing now, for example, an affair leading to the end of a relationship, could be considered one of life’s greatest gifts ten years from now.

We never really know until we finish the story.

John has been given the opportunity to examine his shadow on many levels, all at the same time. That’s not an easy task, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Some people spend their entire lives running from their shadow. He, by the grace of his actions, has exposed the shadow of his integrity in relationship and in business all at once. He is learning the lessons of humility, alignment, and integrity; core teachings in the system of Anusara. He probably has a long list of other things he’s learning as well.

The coming weeks and months will be the true test of his character. John has always called himself a student, first and foremost. This is his opportunity to practice his studentship. If he wants to apologize, let him apologize. If he chooses to step down because he is out of alignment, let that be his choice. Let him be as transparent as he chooses to be. Allow him his privacy as an individual.

Expecting perfection from a teacher sets the student up for disappointment. It’s unfair to the teacher, because we teach what we most need to learn. That’s why we teach. When we remember that, we can remain perpetual students. When we forget, we lose the beginner’s mind. We think we know more than we do, and our ego tricks us into stepping onto that pedestal. Even when we know the footing is uncertain and the only way off is to fall.

The guru is inside.

Look to your own guru now to decide if the principles of Anusara still resonate within your heart. If the message is clear, it shouldn’t matter if the messenger is messy.

Edited by Kate Bartolotta

Johanna Lyman is the JOY Professor, teaching people to create the relationships and experiences they really want so they can live the lives of their dreams. She has been a student of yoga for 11 years and a student of life for 44 years. thejoyprofessor.com, email [email protected]

I would say that there is a lot of 'fear' going on in the minds of many Anusara teachers. Our judgments can only come from the the dualistic mind and arise from fear. I am very surprised and shocked by the 'so-quick-to-judge-and-escape- attitude from so many 'advanced yogis'. I am confused…have any of the teachings they have received from John/Anusara changed because of the current events??? I have studied a great deal with John, and nothing that I have learned from him or experienced has changed. In this present moment NOTHING has changed. Please help me understand, as I am not finding it in my heart to judge.